**GAO-03-344**                      Published: Dec 20, 2002. Publicly Released: Jan 15, 2003.                  

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## Highlights

U.S. air carriers transport billions of tons of cargo each year in both passenger planes and all-cargo planes. Typically, about one-half of the hull of each passenger aircraft is filled with cargo. As a result, any vulnerabilities in the air cargo security system potentially threaten the entire air transport system. GAO agreed to determine the security vulnerabilities that have been identified in the air cargo system, the status of key recommendations that have been made since 1990 to improve air cargo security, and ways in which air cargo security can be improved in the near-and long-term.

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## Topics

Homeland Security

Air transportationAirport securityAviation securityTransportation securityCargo securityComputer-assisted passenger screening systemFreight transportation facilitiesRisk managementSafety standardsShipping industry